All is relative
by Apel
Summary: Two brilliant minds crash and hopefully something good will come out of it on the other side.


**Author note: **This is a brand new story. Yes I know I should properly finish my other ones first. But what can I say? The muse took me for the first time in a very long time, and I followed it. Hopefully it will lead to updates on my other works to!

**Disclaimer: **I of course do not own the Outcasts universe and therefore disclaim any rights etc.

**Story: **This story will focus on Tipper Malone and Stella Isen and will follow the episodes very closely, there will be conversation borrowed from the show (again I disclaim any rights). Enjoy.

* * *

><p><em>When Stella first arrived on Carpathia see was excited, a bit sad, but mostly excited. Tipper was angry.<em>

**Still early**

It was early, yet Stella had already been at work for a couple of hours when the call came from one of her officers. Mitchell was back. A few seconds later Richard storms into her office.

"Have you heard?" He asked sounding breathless in his haste.

"Mitchells back." Stella replied steadily.

"Yes, I'm on my way down to intercept him before he gets to the main station. Will you join me?" Richard asks her.

"Of course." Stella replies and gets up from her chair, following Richard out of the door. He was already on his way out before she answered, displaying his nerves about the whole situation.

They head down the corridor from where they think Mitchell is likely to come from, and sure enough there he was, coming towards them with a steady look in his eyes and with the attitude of a man on a mission. Still carrying all of his outdoor gear.

"Mitchell, we were expecting you tomorrow. Well you know about the new rules, no weapons inside Fordhaven itself." Richard tells him, displaying a certain calm he in no way processes at the moment.

Stella follows calmly up. "All my PAS officers has handed theirs in, even me." She tells him.

Mitchell looks at Stella and replies. "Were not PAS officers Stella we are expeditionarys."

"Okay, but you're still not supposed to be soldiers, your job is to re.." Stella doesn't manage to finish her sentence before Mitchell interrupts her.

"Don't tell me my job." He states.

Displaying no notion of being interrupted she carries on. "...to research the planet and its resources." Mitchell just calmly looks her in the eyes before turning his attention to Richard as he starts to talk again.

"But the main issue here Mitchell is that I don't have to justify to you now, it was passed by general council and everybody will respect that. PAS and XP's alike." He then gets interrupted by a beep from his com, reminding him of one of his other responsibilities.

"It's the coms room. Got to be the transporter. We might have made contact at last." He says while moving back down the hall from where he and Stella had come from.

Stella gives Mitchell a little smile and says calmly. "Check the weapon in Mitchell." and goes past him and farther down the hall and through a door on her left side, leaving Mitchell alone in the hall. She hopes he will check in his weapon, but she isn't too sure. Mitchell is getting more out of hand.

She gets her com out and quickly texts a message to Karina, Mitchell's wife that she can expect her husband today instead of tomorrow. She hopes Karina will see it before her shift starts.

After checking out some things, Stella goes back to her office to get some of the paperwork done, thinking that the Mitchell situation is more or less under hand. Most of her thoughts though go to speculating on the transporter. Had they gotten contact yet?

Just a while later Richard comes by to update her on news from the com room. They had indeed made contact. The Captain's name was Kellerman. There was just one problem; the thermal shields weren't functioning probably.

Not long after Richards short visit one of her officers arrives walking in with a rarity in hand.

Stella looks up from her desk still with pen in hand and says; "You're not on duty yet Cass."

Cass the officer that just walked in replies; "I heard we had visuals on the transporter, came straight here. Is it true?" He asks voice full of anticipating.

"It's true." She replies putting more focus on Cass.

There suddenly is a loud noise coming from the end of the string Cass is holding, and their attention is redirected to the little piglet Cass has with him. Stella looks at him with a question in her eyes.

"Well. Oh Yeah! Ahha, no.4 meet doctor Stella Isen, not just head of protection and security, but the brainiest woman in the whole universe. Couple of guys in food and distribution made four of these." Cass says with a grin, getting a small smile out of Stella.

"What happened to numbers one to tree?" Stella asks.

"Not in front of four." Cass answers dryly.

"I didn't now general council had approved of any livestock clones." Stella replies back.

"No it was done in the sly. Way to get carnivores their bacon fix." Cass answers.

"That and some black market actions I'll imagine." Stella says rather matter-of-fact.

Cass carry's on with his tale. "We intervene just _before they let the coals under her curly little tail." _The last is said in a whisper.

"Stop it you have me crying in a minute." Stella erupts. Cass makes a small laugh and Stella smiles. He then turns back to his original purpose. "So?" he asks.

Stella looks straight at him. "Thermal shield damage." She says.

Cass closes his eyes and mutter a; "Shit."

Stella, trying to keep the hopes up for both of them, continues. "Captain is apparently very competent they're doing repairs in orbit. They have a good chance."

Cass gives a small nod. "Maybe your family's on board?" He says to her.

Stella shakes her head to the sides. "No, there have been fare too many maybes already Cass." She replies calmly at least outwardly. Both give small nods as to agree.

To defuse the situation Stella goes back to their former conversation point. "Get the pig out of my office."

Cass gives a small smile and says to no. 4: "Come on pork chops." ending with a "Grrrff" which the pig replies with its own "Yhhh." They then leave her office.

Stella looks down on her hands finding herself subconsciously playing with her wedding ring. She had said to Cass that there had been fare too many maybes, but she can't help the thought surging through her now. Maybe. Maybe Lily was on board. Maybe Daniel was on board. She says to herself she doesn't dare to hope, but it's still there. Hope.

* * *

><p>It was early, yet Tipper had been up and about for a while. You had to get up early to catch the rabbit and whatnot. He was heading to the place where he usually met up with his 'friend' from the medical unit. Yes he knew it was stupid to meet at the same place, as a matter of facts it was one of his golden rules. But apparently his 'friend' had the opposite rule and that was why he found himself going back to the same spot as their last meeting. He needed the drugs.<p>

He had just gotten the stuff from the other guy when two PAS officers arrived. Talk about being proven right. He puts on a smile.

"I love a girl in uniform." Tipper exclaims and puts the canister discreetly away.

"What did he just give you there?" Fleur asks, one of the PAS officers.

Tipper replies with "Nothing" and backs into the wall behind him.

"Yeah he did." Fleur carries on, focusing only on Tipper.

Karina, the other PAS officer looks the other guy up. "I know you, you work in medical distribution." She says to him.

Fleur looks at the other guy, but ends up addressing Tipper. "Slinging a bit of an unofficial espn on the side?"

"You should try some girls, open your minds, expand your horizons." Tipper says to them, trying to defuse the situation.

"My horizons are just fine." Fleur says with a small smile and Karina carries on.

"Sorry gentlemen we're gonna have to take you in to PAS, we are charging you with two code violation."

Tipper knows there is properly no way out of it now, but he still gives it a last go. After all he wouldn't be him if he didn't.

"Oh officers, isn't there some other way to sort this out. I'll literally to anything you ask." He says in a saucy voice, making what he refers as his cute face at them.

Both Karina and Fleur smile and Karina replies; "You're fresh." Soon to be followed up with; "It's gonna whiteout!" As a massive cloud of dust approaches, creating panic in them all.

Tipper sees his opportunity to get the hell out of this mess and makes a run for it. He doesn't know what happened to the other guy, he just runs. One of the rules when you are being chased: Don't look back. And, this time he is going to follow the damn rules. He hears shouting and the wind picking up and then nothing. He finds himself close to his place and he starts to slow down. When he can see his building his adrenaline has gone down a notch and he knows rationally that he's not being followed. He enters his place and drops down in his chair exhaling noisily and closing his eyes. That was close he thinks. He stays there for a while, steadying his breath.

* * *

><p>Stella is interrupted at her office a while later with the news that one of her PAS officers is down, no scratch that. Karina is down. She hurries to the medical ward and soon receives and update together with a not so friendly 'get out of here' when she's in the doctors and nurses way. She goes to see Richard who's already on his way down there. She manages to intercept him and leads him back up to PAS and further on to the coms room.<p>

"Everything that can be done is being done for her. As soon as they tell us anything you will be the first to know." She tells him.

"Where's Mitchell?" Is the first thing he asks of her.

"We are trying to find him. I also sent a couple of officers to inform Linus' teachers." Stella informs him as they move along the corridor.

"Think he might have discovered something?" Richard asks.

"We do have another suspect." Stella says.

"Who?"

"Tipper Malone, some black market loser." Stella replies as they head into the coms room.

"And why would he want to hurt her?" Richard asks not understanding.

"I don't know, I want to DBV him, you need to get back to the transporter." Stella answers trying to deflect Richard from the subject. She knows he is likely to think this is his fault and they need him to focus on the transporter for now.

"What if Mitchell did find out?" Richard carries on.

"Look let's just take one thing step at the time." Stella says.

"We asked her to spy on her own husband Stella." Richard sighs, stopping in his forward motion and looking at Stella.

"Yeah who was plotting to break away and destroy everything we've been building here." Stella says to remind him.

"But she did love him and it was agony for her." Richard stats looking down and clearly feeling guilty.

"She knew her duty and she was doing it. Listen you need to focus on helping the transporter captain and let me deal with this." She tries to calm him, to make him see that she has this under control. He nods and goes over to get and update on the situation.

Meanwhile Stella receives a message from Fleur stating that they have Tipper Malone at the PAS centre so she goes there.

* * *

><p>She enters the room where they are questioning him; it's one of the office areas. He sits sling back in the chair, Cass and Fleur standing in front of him. She thinks she recognizes him, but she's not sure.<p>

"This is..." Fleur tries to introduce her, but before she finishes Tipper interrupts.

"I know who it is." He says impatient.

Stella walks calmly up to him and asks. "Deep brain visualization do you know about that to?"

"Yep." Tipper replies looking her straight in the eyes.

"If you have nothing to hide it may well prove your innocence. I like your consent; I have applied for an ortho." Stella tells him.

"You're doing it personally?" Tipper asks cheekily, looking her up.

"Well the human brain is still my main area of interest." Stella tells him, surprised to find that it's actually true for ones.

"Then get ready to be fascinated Doc." Tipper says with a smile and a bit of anticipation in his voice.

She fascinates him. DBV scares him.

Still he follows her willingly to the room. He knows in theory how DBV works, but he has never seen or tried it before.

"Please take a seat." Stella says and points to the chair in the middle of the room while she heads further in to check up on some things. She comes back with a notepad that she lies down on a chair behind the main seat.

"Are you comfortable?" She asks when she goes around the chair to see that all is at it should be.

"I've experienced worse, but if anybody could make me more comfortable it would be you." he says with a cheeky grin.

She just smiles at him, adjust the headgear a bit and goes back to sit in the chair behind him. The light pulses in the room, alternating from dark to light and back again no sound can be heard apart from Stella's voice and what comes out on the recording.

"Did you know that the part of the brain that deals with the memory is called the hippo-campus? It means seahorse. Do you remember the sea Tipper? Seahorses are unusual creatures because it's the men who carries the eggs and give birth, every day the male and female have greeting sessions. You had a meeting with someone this morning didn't you Tipper?" She talks slowly and calmly.

The images of his meeting with Karina and Fleur appear on the screen and soon his spectacular runaway is also displaced. Tipper sees it all again inside his head as if it just happened and so does Stella just on the monitor.

"You're free to go." She says suddenly.

Tipper who has been silent from the start exclaims; "What? Your finish already no more digging?"

"Yes, it's clear you had nothing to do with the attack on my officer." She replies while getting up.

Tipper sits up and looks at her as she comes around to the side of the seat he occupies.

"Well that was a waste of time, see you around Doc." He suddenly says and jumps down from the seat and heads for the doors, giving her a salute on the way out.

"Properly not." She remarks.

She turns back to look at the now empty seat in front of her. After realising that she's been staring for a while, she goes to sit on it and slowly lies down. After performing hundreds of DBV's she has become good at making herself remember special memories without needing a person to guide her as she had just done for Tipper.

She hears the music first. La traviata. Then she sees. She's wearing her red dress. Daniel is wearing the grey suit. Lily is as ever present just under their joined hands.

It's been a stressful day and she's not sure this is the best solution to it, but she can't stop.

She feels the velvet of the chair. Daniel's hand on hers. Lily moving inside her.

She stops. Gets up and dry the one tear away that has escaped her and turns the machine off before leaving the room. She goes back to her office to file the paper on Tipper's DBV.

* * *

><p>A while later Fleur and Cass find her in the com room, looking at the monitors of the transporter. She knows she should be going home or at least be focusing on finding Mitchell. The transporter is Richard's responsibility. But she can't find herself to look away.<p>

Fleur comes up to her. "They got a secret place." She says.

For a moment Stella's not sure what she is talking about, but then it comes to her, she turns around. "Maybe that's where Mitchell was planning to place his settlements." She says.

Cass looks at Fleur. "Okay give me the directions." He says.

"You?" Fleur says not believing her ears.

"Yeah." He says not understanding.

"I'm going with you." She states not prepared to be left behind when it's about her best friend's family.

"No look I don't need…" Cass protest.

"Ok big boy we go together or not at all." Fleur states. Stella seems all but forgotten in their discussion.

"Alright alright how far-out is it?" Cass asks, knowing he can't win against her.

"About a day's hike." Fleur says and Stella tries to enter the conversation again. "Men can be a great danger to their children when they think they have nothing left to lose. We don't stop until we find Linus." Stella says a bit agitated.

"It'll be dark before we get there so we need to move quickly." Says Fleur to Cass, backing out of the room while she talks, leaving Stella to look back up at the screens. Neither seems to have heard what Stella said. She wonders why they even came to her, if it was only to inform her of an already made up decision.

She soon realizes that it's impossible for her to control the situation with the transporter and she goes down to the hospital ward to try and see if she can be of any help there.

She talks to the doctor in charge of Karina who wants to take some test. He's not hopeful. Stella looks into Karina's room and finds Richard there. He shouldn't be there, but somehow she knew he would be. He's always trying.

"The doctors need to do some brain stem tests. Cass and Fleur have gone out to find Mitchell." She says as she enters the room, placing herself with a bit of distance from him and Karina.

"Gone out? Beyond the fence?" Richard asks hastily looking down, but towards her direction.

"What is it?" Stella asks going closer to him, sensing that there is something troubling him.

"Mitchell said something." He says vaguely.

"What?" Stella asks.

"He said they were still out there." Richard elaborates.

"Who's they?" Stella asks not quite understanding him, well at least she hopes she's not...

Richard finally looks at her.

"No it can't be, we'd know. He's lying he's trying to unsettle you." She says a bit desperately.

Richard looks away again. "Well he succeeded. What if Cass and Fleur…"

"He's lying!" Stella states again. "Cass and Fleur can look out for themselves. You need to get some rest." Stella concludes and walks out.

She's panicking a bit she can feel it. She needs a distraction from all this mess. She needs a drink.

* * *

><p>What a day Tipper thinks as he heads for the bar. He had gone home for a while after the DVB, but he couldn't settle down, hence the bar trip. He reaches the bar and takes a seat at the bar ordering a drink. It was a quiet evening, which suited him fine.<p>

A woman walks up to the bar and he glances to his right. He smiles to himself. Of course it's the bloody head of protection and security. Just his luck. She hasn't noticed him yet though. He leans forward.

"Nice tricks. You got me under surveillance now. Don't think much of your disguise Doc." Tipper says to her and takes a sip of his drink.

"We had to question you, you're in the clear obviously." Stella says tiredly to him and turns back to focus on the barmaid.

"I always knew that." Tipper says leaning a bit further forward to his right still watching her.

"Can I get a beer?" Stella asks. "Do you want another one?" She asks Tipper, which he nods to "And another one." She says.

Tipper's trying to figure her out. Stella is more or less trying to ignore him.

"You look fed up. Something else on your mind?" He finally asks.

"You might say that." She looks towards him. "Actually do you want to get out of here and go somewhere else?" She says still with that tired look in her eyes.

"Somewhere else?" Tipper questions. "_With the head of protecting and security?" _He says in a whisper looking around.

"Don't mess around I won't ask you again." Stella says all focus on him now.

"Well, you have been inside my head after all." Tipper states.

Taking that as a yes, not really expecting a no, Stella stands from her seat and walks toward the exit. Tipper sits at first a bit dazed, but quickly finishes his drink to follow her out.

He intercepts her just outside the entrance to the bar.

"It's this way isn't it?" She says looking down one of the alleys.

"What?" He asks still a bit dazed not understanding her.

"To your place. I think I remember seeing you running down this street." She says with a small smile playing on her face.

"Ahh." He exclaims and takes her hand. "Yes, you're quite right, this way follow me." He says still afraid she'll change her mind any second. He starts running slowly and she follows him still holding his hand. Both have a small smile playing on their lips.

"Actually this is much nicer then this morning." Tipper states still running. They soon arrive at his place both a bit out of breath. He stops and turns around to look at her, letting go of her hand.

"Well. This is it." He states looking at her with a smile, throwing his arms out to the side.

"Aren't you going to invite me in?" She asks with a straight face after he has been standing there for a while looking at her.

"Of course!" Tipper says his face dropping for a second before the smile returns. He turns around to go up the stairs and into the building, glancing over his shoulder to see her following.

"This way." He says again showing her down the hall to his door and his home.

She stands right behind him when he opens the main door and walks in, and he can feel his nerves peak up a bit. She takes a quick sweep around the place with her eyes before settling back at him.

"So." He says turning around, shuffling his feet a bit. She closes the door behind her and walks up to him and kisses him slowly. After a while he gets it and kisses back. His hands go to her hips and hers to his neck. They stop and look at each other for a second and then he is pushing her up the nearest wall.

Her hands leave his neck and goes for his shirt.

"You know." She says between kisses. "The whole 't-shirt with an open shirt over look?' It's very old fashioned." She concludes.

"Oh I didn't know you were also head of the fashion police." He replies pulling his head back from hers.

"I dabble." She says with a wink.

Tipper swallows. "Well I guess this has to go then." He says and takes off his shirt all the while keeping his eyes on hers.

"Don't forget the t-shirt." Stella says with a straight face. Tipper grins and removes his t-shirt, throwing it after the shirt to land in some fare forgotten corner.

"Seems to me you have me in a disadvantage now." He says putting his hands on her hips again going in for a kiss.

"Hmm." She says after the kiss. "We can't have that; we are living in a democracy after all." She shakes out of her jacket and Tipper helps her with her shirt. She takes off her bra herself.

"Much better." He states and starts kissing his way down from her throat to her right breast. Her hands have a way of their own and are soon roaming his sides, front and back until they finally settle on his hips.

He continues placing kisses on her upper body until he finds her hands at his zipper. He starts to back out of the main room and into his bedroom, guiding her along with him. As they enter his bedroom he steps out of his sneakers and Stella bents down to likewise remove her shoes. With a bit of assistance from each other their trousers soon follows. Clad only in their underpants, kissing, they both fall down on the bed in a heap of limbs, laughing for no apparent reason. It feels good.

Hands and mouths are roaming, leaving hot and wet trails all over both of them. Tipper slowly pulls down Stella's pants and they join the rest of their cloth on the floor. Apparently the equality statement from earlier still stands and Stella makes quick works of his pants as well. Stella lies back and Tipper follows her.

Tipper is strangely quiet for once not coming up with any smart remarks. Stella's mind is blank.

Hands start to roam again and Tipper soon finds her entrance making sure she's ready for what is to come next. Stella seemingly deems his attention more than enough and strokes his cock trying in the process to guide him to her. He lines up with her body, kisses her, and slowly enters her. They go slowly at first, but soon the speed increases and Stella's legs sneaks up to circle around Tipper's back. When her orgasm comes she's in bliss. Tipper soon follows. They lie there for a while, him on top of her, still in her, she's drawing circles on his back.

He breathes into her hair and when his breathing slows down he moves to lie beside her. They are looking at each other with small hesitant smiles on their faces. Stella keeps stroking him, she doesn't know why, but it feels nice. She loves his freckles. Tipper closes his eyes for a bit to enjoy the aftermath, but he soon opens them when he feels the stroking coming to an end.

"I can't stay." She states matter-of-factly still it doesn't look like she wants to leave.

"Ok." He says looking at her, he understands.

She rolls back and out of the bed and goes to search for her cloth. Tipper likewise gets out of bed. He puts on his jeans and goes to the main room to find her bra and shirt. When she is fully dressed she leaves his home without a word and Tipper returns to his bedroom with one word on his mind. Fuck.


End file.
